Code 3 – Living Proof review

Artist: Code 3
Title: Living Proof
Label: Exit
Genre: Drum And Bass
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

Exit new boys Code 3 arrive on the label to deliver their next eagerly awaited single, “Living Proof”. With them, they bring two killer tracks of their trademark dark and techy D&B science, full of unsettling atmospheres and unnerving beats.

The title track sets the scene with a paranoia inducing soundscape through walls of dread sub bass pressing against sparse, eerie atmospheres. Stepping snare placements add to the uneasy feel of open space that the listener finds themselves in. The beat pulses away steadily underneath churning bass swabs, ghostly synth stabs and haunting effects. Distorted fizz and hits bounce off each other, giving the track its groove which builds and builds throughout, dragging you further into the depths with each sinister turn. “Living Proof” immediately grips your attention, more than anything because you are too terrified to just let this menacing monster wander freely. Instead, you need to keep a watchful ear and give it your undivided attention.

On the flip, “Response Call” turns up the energy whilst retaining the atmospheric, science sound dashes. It works tough percussion with shifting rhythmic gears through throbbing bass, rooting the sound firmly in the underground. Powerful sub bass swells in the mix as effects from another world creep in once more to take the listener out of their comfort zone. An excellent debut for Exit, “Living Proof” sees Code 3 deliver some truly disturbing and soul trembling D&B. What makes their sound so special lies in their restrained ability to keep a lid on their productions and not let them spill over. Instead, they let the space and atmosphere do their devastating work.

Review: Tom Jones